Parisian Backstreets
Parisian Back Streets is the first level of Tomb Raider - Angel of Darkness. About this level Lara was chased through the streets by policemen and dogs. This level has two routes: * The normal route * The hidden route Picture by picture 1.01 - The sign Fabrique de Comptiors en etain Martin Mèallet maison princip le ISN.... ''' This could be a sign of the developers of the game: '''Martin Iveson and Sue Mallett. The sign here translates as “Martin Meallet, manufacturer of pewter counters, established etc.” Maison princip translates as main/principal house, but there is actually a typo here, since ‘princip’ does not exist in French, whilst ‘principe’ does. There will be many typos like this to look out for throughout the course of '' the game; obviously, the Core team’s French was a little rusty…(from the KTEB; The Secrets from AoD) '' 1.02 - Box A box with the marking: RODDARD LE GUMES, this translate Roddard the vegetables according to google translate. It's an odd thing, who is Roddard? There is also a boxwith Bière or Biebe with a crown on it. 1.03 - Newspaper 01-3.jpg 01-3a.jpg On the newspaper is a picture of Franz Kafka. '''The picture on the newspaper should be flipped. Which lead us to the '''Czech republic '''where the second part of the series will be taken, somehow a spoiler alert. More information here on Franz Kafka. Here is it original a photo from 1917. '''1.04 - EUROPE2 sign A''s for those Europe2 posters plastered in the alley, it’s a French network of FM radio stations dedicated to Rock and Pop music, relaunched in 2008 as Virgin Radio.They’re everywhere as well, which makes us think that students plastered them everywhere, much to the city council’s annoyance (From the KTEB Secrets of AoD) In the Russion version the Europe2 posterd are changed into "''Chocolade Shock" ''posters as pointed out by Jorge Croft on TRF. '''1.05 - Hicho or Hichio poster' After finding the key from the crow you have to unlock the door and going under a fence. Look at the garbage. There are some Japanese stuff in there. Maybe you can read it or not all I can see is “Hicho 100” or “Ichigo”. Japanese manga stuff, I think. Couldn't find the original. Right: A picture from the GMX files extracted. Left above I think is Cowboy bebop. Second one (right) is gibberish), then the Hichio and then a dude who looks like Bono, but isn’t. 1.10 - Reine des clubs When Lara crawls near the policemen she sees a dance club Reine des Clubs. Overlooking this park is also a shuttered club called Reine des Clubs, which translates as ‘Queen of Clubs’. Whilst the French word for club is actually trèfle, there are a number of clubs in France (well, a few in Metz and Montpellier, anyway) that actually have the name of the club in French, combined with the English word for ‘club’. In this sense, Core has really done their research—either that, or they just wanted to slip in a delicious pun. There’s even the image of a crown on the sign. (From the KTEB Secrets of AoD) 1.11 - M. Roxby Ecole de Dance The dancing school of M. Roxby. That name "Rox" or "Roxby" is familiar. It also appears in the Madame Carvier level in one of the markings of a can. According to wikipedia Roxby is a village in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. you see also a sign: place de Delphine this links to novel “Delphine”, the first novel of Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein. In the Carvier level everything is Napoleon-themed. You must bear in mind that the levels Parisian Backstreets, Derelict apartment, Industrial rooftops and Margot Carviers Apartment was one level. You can see that in the level images inside the .gmx files. So.. it is not a suprise to see here the word Delphine. 1.12 - Gibberish text Near the dancing school you see on the right some gibberish text. Can anyone read this? I think it is a summery off what they teach you here at the dancing school. It is certainly mysterious. 1.13 - Hotel Eloise finding In this area you can find a hotel. Yes! Hotel de Eloise. You can see this not in the game but with a the TRAODLE viewer. 1.14 - Library At the library (on the other side of the dancing school) you can see the first book from the left called RAY. This is a reference to Ray Tran one of the artists who created TRAOD. According to the secrets guide from KTEB there is a man in the library that looks like Franz Kafka. 1.15 - Store Called Bastide According to Secrets guide: Bastide translates as cottage, which is perhaps meant to be an ironic joke given the shop’s current condition 1.21 - Bench 01-21.jpg 01-21a.jpg The bench can be found in the secret area next to the garbage bin (were Lara supposed to be hide from the police, you know in the beta version). I found the picture with google, it is somewere in Paris. 1.22 - Head above window 01-22.jpg 01-22a.jpg The head above the window is from a statue. It think it is the David from Michaelangelo. 1.24 - Iron wrought door 01-24.jpg 01-24a.jpg 01-24b.jpg “''This door is locked, I need a key''” says Lara, looking at the door (and having no key). The door is an iron wrought door, but it is not. The developers of Core Design used the design of iron wrought balconies in Paris. Wikimedia commons has listed a whole page of designs of iron wrought balconies. When look up another and surfing on Google maps on Rue de Richilieu, I saw this (picture 2), but that’s not it. I think it is picture 3. Rue de Richelieu is a long street of Paris, starting in the south of the 1st arrondissement, ending in the 2nd arrondissement. For the first half of the nineteenth century, before Baron Hausmann redefined Paris with grand boulevards, it was one of the most fashionable streets of Paris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Richelieu). And.. Rue de Richilieu leads to the Louvre. 1.26 - Police Car 01-26.jpg 01-26a.jpg 01-26b.jpg Core Design did their job very well in making the game realistic. The police car in the second picture is a Citroën. The logo of the Parisian police can be seen (it differs from the logo I posted here). It has a coat of arms on it of Paris (third picture). Relics of the beta level design This part is about the beta level design. The first level has been changed a lot. In the retail game the secret section was really bugged (and still is with the patches of Nakamichi680). 1.16 - Graffity painting with smiling face and pyramid When you fly a bit you can see this graffit painting. Unfortunate I can’t read the graffiti. But I remember this piece of art is also outside of the Madame Carvier apartment level. Maybe this is the place where her apartment level should be in the beta. 1.17 - Advertising board According to Secrets guide: you will see a sign upon the skyline which reads Betiel Lainé. There is another typo here—take away the accented ‘e’, and the sign refers to Betiel, a manufacturer of wool. 1.18 - I love my neighborhood 01-18.jpg 01-18a.jpg This picture doesn't exist in this level. But it exist in the Parisian Ghetto level (second part). On this page: beta and more from Kiko you can see the image being used in the beta level. It is based on a real French sign. It reads: “J'aime mon quartier” or “I love my neighbourhood” and “Je Ramasse” or “I pick up” according to google translate. 1.19 - Street signs 01-19.jpg 01-20.jpg The Rue alphonse is used in the game. Multiple streets with Alphonse exist: rueAlphone-Bertillon, rue Alphonse-Karr, rue Alphonse-Daudet, Rue Alphonse Penaud. I belief it is a reference to Alphonse Mucha. '''His art is used in the Prague levels. The '''Rue Pantoufles is not used in the game.It translate it as “Street slippers”. Thanx to Aurimas from Tomb Raider Forums. A PLACE DE DELPHINE exist. But the PLACE DE LIBERTÉ don’t. Which translates as “Place of the freedom” according to google translate. Also first seen by Aurimas. 1.23 - Hanging lamp in the air There was once a street there. There has been a lot changed in the level. 1.25 - Beta screens 01-25.jpg 01-25a.jpg 01-25b.jpg 01-25c.jpg On TRF I found a video a video what shows the first level on the normal route, opposite the exit of the game. There was a chair, a roof to fall on. In the third and fourth screenshot you see the current state. On the fourth you can see the grass before the door. It is not easily visible. Last picture is made from the second level “Derelict Apartment”. It shows a wire by the door, not seen in the first level. Also the rain don’t fall on the ground but in midair (see the blue line). It is a shame they removed this feature. But it was removed for a reason. Category:Tomb Raider AOD